Johnathan Thurston says New Zealand have the potential to rack up 40 points against Australia in Saturday week's rugby league international in Townsville if the Kangaroos lack intensity in potential heatwave conditions.

Five-eighth Thurston is looking forward to playing in front of a big crowd on his home ground but wary of a New Zealand side that invariably performs better in tournaments than one-off internationals.

"They haven't had a great track record against us in the one-off Tests, so they have got a lot of points to prove," Thurston said in Sydney on Thursday.

"If we go in there lacking in intensity they will put 40 on us.

"They've got strike power all over the park and they've got a massive forward pack and they will be looking to use that, so hopefully Saturday night it's 40 degrees."

Thurston said it was starting to heat up at night in Townsville and players not accustomed to the conditions would be affected.

"It will affect them, because I know I will be blowing and if I'm blowing they will be blowing too," Thurston said.

"I think our boys are up there for the whole week, so the boys will get a little bit accustomed to it."Kangaroos second-rower Paul Gallen said the weather conditions could be a factor in the game."Both sides have got a lot of big boys and the humidity up there and the heat could come into it," Gallen said."I suppose whoever handles it the best could get the win."He doubted the pace of the game would be affected, citing the extra two interchanges allowed compared to the NRL.Thurston was excited at the prospect of playing behind a revamped Kangaroos pack."We've got a really strong pack, Gal (Gallen) and Nate (Myles) and Birdy (Greg Bird) are very physical," Thurston said."They love tackling, they love running the ball, so when you are playing in the halves, I'm pretty excited to play behind this pack."NRL.COM